Combined topping-knife and pick.



A. L. WILKES.

COMBINED TOPPING KNIFE AND PICK.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 12, 1912.

Patented July 8, 1913.

UNITE SI ALFRED L. WILKES, OF SANTA ANA, CALIFORNIA.

COMBINED TOPPING-KNIFE AND PICK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 12, 1912.

Patented July 8, 1913.

Serial No. 720,099.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED L. \VIL'KES, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Santa Ana, in the county of Orange, State of California, have invented a certain new and useful Combined Topping-Knife and Pick; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to topping-knife pick which though useful in many other relations is more particularly designed to be used with great advantage to pick up and top sugar beets; and it may be said to consist, in the provision of the novel and advantageous features and in the novel and improved construction, arrangement. and combination of the parts as will be ap nirent from the description and claims which follow hereinafter.

One object of the invention is to provide a topping-knife with novel and improved means thereon for conveniently and quickly loosening and lifting from the ground the sugar beets to be topped.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved pick or spear adapted to be detachably secured to a topping-knife.

Further objects of the invention are to provide a pick or spear for the toppingknife which is simple in character, strong and durable, cheap to nmnufacturc, easily applied to existing topping-knives, and effective in action.

Other objects and the advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of the following description of the parts embodying it, taken in connection with the accompany ing drawing in which Figure 1 is a view of the topping-knife with the pick removably affixed thereon; Fig. 2 is a view of the pick detached from the topping-knife, and Fig. 3 is aview of a portion of the topping-knife with the pick riveted thereon.

The topping knife t may be of the usual or any approved form and construction, that shown consisting of the blade 5 to which suitably attached the handle 6. On the end portion of the blade 4 remote from the han dle (3 is allixed. the pick or spear 7. As shown, the upper portion of the pick is preferably split to lit it over the blade 4, and the lower portion of the pick is preferaldy flattened out and formed curved with the lower end thereof pointed and extending toward the handle (3. The pick 7 may be secured in place on the blade 5 by any suitable means, as by rivets S passing through the pick and the blade, see Fig. 3; but it is preferably reniovably attached to the blade by having the upper end portion of the pick threaded and :ulapted to extend above the upper edge of the blade 5 whereby the nut 9 may be screwed on the threaded end portion of the pick to clamp the pick in position on the blade, as will be understood.

From the foregoing the manner of use of the invention will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, it being seen that the user may swing the topping-luii't'e by the handle to have the pointed end of the pick penetrate the sugar beets whcrcupmi they may be easily and quickly loosened and lifted from the ground in an ell'ective inanncr and then topped without much stooping or inconvenience on the part of the user.

I claim:

1. A pick provided with a split upper portion adapted to fit over the blade of a topping-knife and with a flattened lower portion formed curved and pointed at the end, said split upper portion threaded at the end thereof, and a nut on the threaded end of the upper portion for the purpose set forth.

2. The combination of a topping-knife including a blade and a handle, a pick having the upper portion thereof split to lit it over the blade and having the lower portion thereof curved and extending toward the handle and provided with a pointed end, and a nut adapted to screw on the split upper portion of the pick to secure the pick in position on the blade.

in testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses at TJUS Angclcs, county of Los Angelcs, State of California, this 7th day of September A. l). 1912.

A l'ililtl ll) L. \VILKIGH.

\Vitnex: s

Flu-:1) A. hLirzsrti ELI), A. ll. Linnnns.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

